The Treasure of Lemon Brown

“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” is a short story by Walter Dean Myers that explores the unexpected bond between a teenage boy, Greg Ridley, and an unhoused man, Lemon Brown. Through their encounter in an abandoned building, the text explores themes of wisdom, legacy, and father-son relationships. The story first appeared in the March 1983 issue of Boys’ Life magazine. Since its initial publication, the short story has been widely anthologized and studied in educational settings for its accessible narrative and rich thematic content, serving as an entry point for discussions on personal values and intergenerational relationships. 

Citations in this guide refer to the edition published in Boys’ Life. 

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death.

Fourteen-year-old Greg Ridley wants to join his local community center’s basketball team, the Scorpions. His father tells him that he will decide whether he can try out based on the results of his next report card. A week before the report cards are due, the principal sends Greg’s father a letter explaining that his son will likely fail his math class unless he devotes more time to his studies. Greg’s father is a postal worker who is proud of the hard work he put into passing the test required for his job. He places a high importance on academics because he had to drop out of school when he was 13, and he often lectures his son for not appreciating the chances he’s been given.

Two nights later, Greg sits outside on his apartment building’s front stoop, angrily thinking over his father’s words. When it begins to storm, the teenager decides to go for a walk instead of going inside because he doesn’t want to study or hear another lecture from his father. Greg ducks into an abandoned tenement building to get out of the rain. He finds a musty parlor that contains a table, what appears to be a pile of rags, and a broken couch. Greg sits on the couch and thinks about his father and the Scorpions. 

Greg soon realizes that he’s not alone in the room. A voice behind him warns him not to make any sudden movements because the speaker is armed with a razor. Slowly, Greg turns and sees an old man dressed in rags. The man says that his name is Lemon Brown, and Greg recognizes him as an unhoused person he has seen digging through trash bins in his neighborhood. Greg relaxes because the man was bluffing about having a weapon.

Lemon Brown says that he’s staying in the building and asks why Greg is there if he has a home. He suspects that Greg might be one of the boys after his treasure. Greg doesn’t believe the man has a treasure, but Lemon Brown retorts that everyone has a treasure. He used to be known as Sweet Lemon Brown because he sang the blues sweetly. During his time as a professional musician, he traveled throughout the American South and earned a measure of acclaim. He’s proud of his musical ability and surprised that Greg hasn’t heard of him. When Greg asks what happened to Lemon Brown, he answers that his changed circumstances are the result of poverty and misfortune. Lemon Brown asks Greg once again why he didn’t go home when it began to rain, but the boy brushes off the question. Lemon Brown says that Greg reminds him of his son.

Suddenly, Lemon Brown hears a noise. Greg looks out the window and sees three men from the neighborhood. One of them is armed with a length of pipe. Lemon Brown leads Greg upstairs, takes his hand, and whispers that the men are bad people. The men enter the tenement building because they’ve overheard Lemon Brown talking about his treasure and think that he’s referring to money. As one of the men approaches the pair’s hiding place, Lemon Brown lets go of Greg’s hand and moves toward the top of the stairs. The man strikes the pipe against the wooden banister and tells Lemon Brown to give him his money or he’ll attack him.

Greg panics as Lemon Brown stands frozen in place. The eerie sight of the elderly man illuminated by the other man’s flashlight gives Greg an idea. He howls like a ghost, startling the men. Lemon Brown hurls himself at the would-be thieves and takes their flashlight. The three men rush outside. To Greg’s relief, Lemon Brown is unharmed except for a few bruises. Greg says that they should both leave before the men come back, but Lemon Brown assures him that they’re too frightened to return since they now believe the building is haunted. 

Lemon Brown plans to leave Harlem for East St. Louis the next day, and he offers to show Greg his treasure. The man opens a bundle of rags tied to his right leg, revealing a dented harmonica and news clippings from over 50 years ago that praise his music. Lemon Brown explains that his wife died and his sister-in-law raised his son, Jesse, while he continued to travel for work. When Jesse grew up, he enlisted to fight in the war. Before Jesse left, Lemon Brown gave him his treasure so that his son would understand who he was and feel confident in his ability to forge a legacy for himself. While his son was overseas, Lemon Brown’s musical career dwindled because he no longer had a loved one to support with his work. Jesse was killed in the war, and Lemon Brown received his son’s effects, including the newspaper clippings and the harmonica. It means a great deal to Lemon Brown that his son kept these belongings on him and treated them like a treasure.

When Greg asks the elderly man whether he truly believes his treasure is worth fighting the man armed with the pipe, Lemon Brown calls the boy foolish to question its value. He tells Greg to go home and promises to keep watch to ensure that the boy arrives safely. Greg tells Lemon Brown to take care of himself and his treasure. 

The rain has stopped by the time Greg steps outside. He considers telling his father about Lemon Brown but decides against it. As the boy heads up to his apartment, he thinks about the lecture that his father will give him for staying out so late and smiles.